Master is Also Running Away from Marriage Today (Transmigration) - Chapter 19

“Was it your master who saved my life back then?”

Bai Fengqing led Lin Qingge aside and directly voiced the question that had been troubling him.

Although Mu Ling’s demeanor and appearance bore no resemblance to the herb-gathering woman from his memories, the look in her eyes felt achingly familiar to Bai Fengqing. He didn’t understand why, but over the years, he had been unable to forget that herb-gathering woman he’d met long ago, always yearning to see her again. Yet he had no idea what he would say or do if they were to meet.

“I mean no offense. I just want to thank her in person.” Bai Fengqing added when Lin Qingge remained silent, his grip on his sword unconsciously tightening.

Lin Qingge’s gaze darkened slightly.

In her youth, while traveling, she had once encountered Bai Fengqing by chance. At that time, Bai Fengqing had recognized Lin Qingge and pressed her for information about the “herb-gathering woman.” For reasons she couldn’t quite explain perhaps disliking Bai Fengqing’s urgent manner, or simply her aversion to people from the immortal realm Lin Qingge had concealed Mu Ling’s whereabouts, claiming she knew nothing.

But it seemed Bai Fengqing still hadn’t given up searching for his “savior.”

What would he do if he found her?

Lin Qingge scoffed inwardly. As a fellow sword cultivator, she could see clearly from the sidelines, Bai Fengqing’s attitude was far from normal.

“Matters concerning my elders are not for me to comment on,” Lin Qingge heard herself say, her tone laced with sarcasm. “If Senior Bai has doubts, why not ask my master yourself?”

But then again, who was she to judge? Wasn’t she just as abnormal?

Lin Qingge’s expression darkened further as she coldly examined her own emotions. The moment the words left her mouth, she had already regretted them. Even though she and Mu Ling were destined to part ways eventually, the thought of Bai Fengqing getting close to Mu Ling filled her with inexplicable agitation.

She was furious at how much power Mu Ling held over her.

Lin Qingge had never expected that the “other her” lying dormant within would suddenly awaken during her meditation and take control of her body, leading her to follow Mu Ling to the Kingdom of Tianshui.

At first, Lin Qingge hadn’t understood the purpose behind it until Bai Junhao mentioned the Heart-Eroding Lotus Seed.

She recalled the seed she had swallowed in the back mountains of the Qingyi Sect. After consuming it, she had successfully formed her foundation in one go. Everyone assumed it was due to a breakthrough in her spiritual power, but Lin Qingge knew the truth. It wasn’t newly generated spiritual energy, but rather a portion of her existing power that had been released when the seed shattered its restraints.

After taking that seed, the strange, unruly force within her had also grown much calmer.

Over the years, Lin Qingge had been secretly searching for a way to completely eradicate that peculiar energy. After all, Mu Ling’s spiritual spring water only soothed and pacified it temporarily. To eliminate it entirely, she needed another method.

And now, she believed she had found it. The Heart-Eroding Lotus Seed was likely the key to purging the strange energy from her body.

Lin Qingge had a feeling: the awakened “other her” was well aware of her wariness but had deliberately brought her here anyway, confident that Lin Qingge would have no choice but to seek out the Heart-Eroding Lotus Seed.

In truth, Lin Qingge really had no other choice.

Lin Qingge utterly detested this feeling of being led by the nose whether the ‘her’ inside her was her past self or not.

Bai Fengqing was also taken aback by Lin Qingge’s words.

Unaware of Lin Qingge’s complex and conflicted emotions, he pondered for a moment and found her reasoning sound. Rather than questioning Lin Qingge, it would be better to ask Mu Ling directly.

Thus, without paying heed to Lin Qingge’s increasingly frosty expression, Bai Fengqing turned and walked up to Mu Ling.

“Peak Master Mu, might I have a word with you in private?”

“No, whatever you have to say, say it here!” Mu Ling gave Bai Fengqing a strange look. “This is our first meeting, it’s better to maintain some distance.”

Mu Ling had no intention of speaking privately with Bai Fengqing!

His conversation with Qingge hadn’t seemed to go well, and Qingge’s face had darkened immediately. Qingge was the child she had raised herself! Naturally, Mu Ling would side with Qingge. Knowing she was soft-hearted and prone to sympathy, she decided to cut off any chance of interaction with Bai Fengqing at the root to avoid wavering.

Bai Fengqing, having devoted himself entirely to sword cultivation, was usually slow to pick up on others’ emotions. More often than not, he was the one leaving others speechless. This was the first time someone had shut him down so bluntly.

His eyes widened in surprise; the usually decisive swordsman uncharacteristically flustered. Meanwhile, Bai Junhao couldn’t help but smile faintly, forming his own judgment of Mu Ling: It seems this Peak Master Mu is equally blunt with everyone.

“You—” Bai Fengqing glanced at Bai Junhao out of the corner of his eye, recalling that the latter’s lingering injuries were inflicted by that herb-gathering woman. After hesitating, his words twisted into: “Have we met somewhere before, Peak Master Mu?”

With Bai Junhao right there, how could Mu Ling dare to acknowledge any connection to the Bai family? She immediately denied it three times over: “No, never, you must be mistaken!”

Her denial was swift, and her expression showed no sign of deceit. Bai Fengqing was momentarily puzzled. Could Mu Ling truly not be that herb-gathering woman?

Meanwhile, Bai Junhao, watching Bai Fengqing’s discomfited expression, suppressed his smile and studied Mu Ling with a thoughtful gaze: This is the first time my sword-obsessed younger brother has taken the initiative to speak to a female cultivator and with such a clumsy pickup line, no less.

In the following days, Mu Ling made a horrifying discovery: Bai Junhao had begun finding excuses to linger near her, while Bai Fengqing kept shooting her inexplicable looks.

Mu Ling was terrified, but she couldn’t show it. She could only stick close to Lin Qingge all day. And lately, for some reason, Lin Qingge already taciturn had grown even quieter. Her temper had also become increasingly unpredictable. One moment, Mu Ling would finally manage to coax a smile from her, only for the next to see that light in her eyes vanish without warning.

Watching Lin Qingge’s behavior, Mu Ling grew even more convinced that her dear child must have been deeply hurt by that old lecher Bai Fengqing. Her dislike for him intensified. With the four of them having failed to uncover anything useful over the past few days, she secretly resolved to find a way to shake off the Bai brothers.

That day, Bai Junhao continued his usual attempts to strike up conversation.

“Still no useful information today,” Bai Junhao sighed, rubbing his forehead. “But I did hear an ancient legend about Biming Town.”

“Back then, the land of Tianshui wasn’t called Tianshui it was known as Luocheng. The city lord had a beloved daughter named Luo Zhi. Frail and sickly since childhood, she had always recuperated in Biming Town. The current Water God Temple stands on the ruins of her former residence. Unfortunately, Luo Zhi misjudged a man’s character and married a wolf in sheep’s clothing. In the end, she met a tragic fate hanged alive on the city walls. And it was that very year when plagues and droughts began to plague Luocheng.”

“Women in this world, regardless of their status, find it most rare to meet a devoted heart that remains true for a lifetime.” Bai Junhao shook his head with emotion.

If Mu Ling were a woman of this era, she might have been moved by Bai Junhao’s seemingly considerate words about women. Unfortunately, Mu Ling was not from this time. His remarks, though appearing thoughtful, were filled with presumptuous male assumptions, and she couldn’t be bothered to entertain them.

Meanwhile, Lin Qingge stood to the side, stroking her sword without even lifting her head. Mu Ling couldn’t tell if she had heard Bai Junhao’s brainwashing spiel.

To prevent her little cabbage’s views on love from being tainted, Mu Ling decided to chime in: “I believe what’s truly rare is for a woman to live freely and joyfully in this life! There’s no need to obsess over others’ opinions. Fight for what you love, and if heartbreak comes, walk away early. It’s wonderful to find a devoted partner, but even without one, you can still live a fulfilling life and achieve great things.”

Mu Ling gazed earnestly at Lin Qingge, who glanced up at her briefly. Mu Ling couldn’t tell if her words had sunk in.

Bai Junhao hadn’t expected Mu Ling to say such things and was momentarily at a loss for words. Finally, he let out an awkward chuckle. “Elder Mu is remarkably open-minded.”

And just like that, the conversation died once again.

Mu Ling ignored him and led Lin Qingge out the door.

Over the past few days, the group had combed through the empty area repeatedly, practically digging three feet into the ground, yet they found nothing unusual. All the people and buildings seemed to have vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed in the first place.

Mu Ling decided to make one last round. If they still found nothing, she would swallow her pride and return to the sect to ask Zhao Yunshi for help and part ways with the Bai brothers while she was at it.

“Only the boundary stele remains in the entire town!” As usual, Mu Ling found nothing of note.

The boundary stele stood at the town’s outermost edge. The refined townsfolk of Biming had planted two willow trees beside it. It was the season for willows to sprout, and their emerald tendrils cascaded down like a giant umbrella sheltering the stele, creating a picturesque scene.

Mu Ling stared at the three large characters. “Biming Town” engraved on the stele, then turned to Lin Qingge with a sigh. “I doubt the two of us will uncover anything strange. Let’s bid farewell to the Bai brothers and return to Qingyi Sect to ask the sect leader for help.”

But Lin Qingge seemed not to hear her. Her gaze was fixed on the willow tree beside the stele, her brows tightly furrowed.

Receiving no response, Mu Ling turned back just in time to see Lin Qingge draw her sword and swing it straight at her.

Qingge’s eyes were tinged red again!

Mu Ling was so startled she barely had time to react. A sharp gust of sword wind grazed her cheek and struck the willow tree behind her!

The tranquil willow tree suddenly shuddered as if it were a living creature, its emerald-green branches rapidly elongating into whiplike tendrils that lashed out toward the two like a tempest! The trunk split with a sharp crack, spewing forth dark mist.

Mu Ling seemed to catch a glimpse of something golden flickering within the willow’s body like a lotus seed while Lin Qingge’s attacks grew increasingly fierce beside her.

At that moment, the Bai brothers, alerted by the commotion, rushed out and joined the battle without hesitation.

Mu Ling, Lin Qingge, and Bai Fengqing quickly fell into sync. Mu Ling expanded her mermaid silk barrier to shield them from the willow’s strikes, while Lin Qingge and Bai Fengqing wielded their swords with chilling precision, each slash severing countless tendrils. Despite being several cultivation levels below Bai Fengqing, Lin Qingge appeared just as formidable, and the battle swiftly tipped in their favor. The willow branches, seemingly overwhelmed, began to retreat.

Mu Ling let out a sigh of relief only for the entire ground to suddenly tremble beneath them. Countless gnarled roots erupted from the earth. The willow’s sprawling roots had infiltrated the entire town!

Above them, the retreating willow branches wove together into a colossal net, pressing down with crushing weight!

The sky was blotted out by a chaotic storm of flailing branches, while the ground beneath churned with serpentine roots trapping the four of them like a monstrous cage!

In the chaos, Mu Ling instinctively grabbed Lin Qingge’s hand.

And in that very instant from the heart of the tangled roots, right where the Water God’s temple once stood a blinding radiance erupted!

The world spun violently as all four were sucked into the heart of the light!